Pipe puller



Patented July 24, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PIPE PULLER Ellery Fitch, Bogue, Kans. r Application Aprilfl, 1949, Serial No. 85,421

1 Claim.

This invention relates to the making of wells and more particularly it is an object of the invention to provide an improved pipe puller or fishing tool for the recovery of broken portions of pipe disposed in the casing of an underground well.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a pipe recovering device as described having a guide portion which is expandable and retractable for snugly fitting well casings of various s1zes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pipe recovering device as described which is provided with improved pipe clamping means for securely gripping a pipe in an undergroundy well casing prior to the pulling of the clamp and the pipe upwardly out of the well casing. Yet a further object of the invention resides in the provision of a` pipe clamping and pulling uses, and which is provided with means for maintaining a clamping member thereof disposed with its clamping end toward a pipe receiving passageway thereof. I

Another object of the invention is to provide a clamping device as described having teeth for effectively gripping a pipe to be pulled or moved.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device for the purpose described which is sturdy and durable in construction, reliable and efficient in operation, simple and inexpensive to manufacture, assemble and utilize.

Other and still further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof. I

In the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation of a well casing `shown with a pipe therein, the pipe removing device of this invention being shown in a position over the end of the pipe, portions of the casing of the pipe and of the pipe recovering device being broken away and other portions showing in section; the position of the pipe prior to engagement with the pipe recovering device being indicated in dotted lines.

Figure 2 is also a side elevational view on an enlarged scale and taken at a right angle to that shown in Figure 1 showing the pipe pulling device of this invention shown as secured to a portion of a pipe, a portion of a cable attached `guiding member generally indicated at ZI). The

member is funnel-shaped having upwardly `and inwardly tapering inner walls in its downwardly disposed hollow lower end.

The purpose of the guide 20 is to catch the upper end of the pipe I 4 at a time when the guide is being lowered into a well casing and for guiding the pipe toward the center of the casing and into a later described pipe clamping `member. For this purpose it is desirable that thelower edge of the guide 20 conformto the shape of the interior of the casing I0.

To make possible the use of the guide 20 in well'casings I0 of various diameters, a skirt 24 is provided for extending about the lower end of the guide 20. The skirt 24 is preferably of the shape of a frustrum of a cone when secured in position on the guide 20 by means of suitable The skirt 24 may, if desired, be provided with overlapping ends, not shown, for adjustabilitxT so that the lower end of the skirt 24 is adapted to be of slightly lesser size than the-interior of the casing Il). Optionally, special skirts 24 can be made for each different casing IIJ without overlapping construction.

The lower edge of the guide, or of the skirt if a skirt is employed, is preferably tapered downwardly and` youtwardly from the interior thereof to the exterior thereof, as shown at 34,

for improving the'efiiciency of the guide in getarms in the slot 64 and having a toothed clamp-Y ing end 'I4 disposed in the passageway 60 for engaging the pipe I4. The locking member 10 is preferably provided with teeth 80 on its c1amp' although the pipes being moved would be different and the cable employed would be different. For this latterreason the pipe in Figures 2 and 3 is given the numeral |50 and the cable is given the numeral |52. v

This invention has provided a device for recovering pipes from well casings of various sizes and has further provided a pipe puller for use wherever pipe is to be lifted or moved.

From the Iforegoing description itis thought to be'obvious that a pipe Ipuller constructed in `accordance with my invention is particularly `well adapted for use by reason of the convenience ing end 'I4 and is pivotally secured, by means -of y a pin 90, to the walls of the slot 64, in a position on the locking member 'I0 spaced apartfrom the clamping end 'I4 so as to permit the locking member 'I0 to pivot in a plane in parallelism with the elongated passageway 60. y

The clamping device further includes lajbar I disposed across and secured to the upper end of the yoke 50 and across Athe-passageway 04 for limiting swinging movements of the locking member 'I0 in a clockwise direction, as seen in Figure 1.

A pin |06 is disposed Athrough :the opposite `side `wallsl of the slot 64 beneath the locking member 'I0 in a position for limiting pivotal movements of the locking member 'I0 in a counter-clockwise direction, as seen in Figure 1.

The invention further includes an attachment loop linkage |08 formed preferablyof a U-shape, having its lower end suitably and rigidly secured to the `yoke 54. `The linkage |08 is elongated and is disposed extending in parallelismv with the passageway |50.v

In operation, the pipe recovering device, as described, is lowered into the interiorof the well casing I0 until the inclined lower edges 34 strike the pipe I4, guiding the` latter through the sleeve 4I] and passageway E0.

At such time, the operator can pull upwardly on a cable |20 secured t0 the linkage |08 byy a cable clamp |30, causing the 'locking member 10 to press against and securely hold the pipe I4. Further upward pulling `on the cable v| will cause the pipev|4 to be drawn upwardly and into a position such that another pipel length can be'spliced thereto. If desired, the pipe I4 can-be entirely removed.

The clamping device of the invention has other usesapar-t from attachment to the guide 20 and in such uses is adapted to functionas a pipe puller wherever pipes aredesired to be pulledor lifted.

`Figure 2 illustrates the use of a `clampingmember 54 by itself as a pipepulling device, the

opera-tion being similar in alll respects to its ypreviously described use. Like numerals will be used .to designate the different`parts of the clamping or pipe pulling device shown'in Figures 2 and 3,

y file of'this patent:

and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and lmodification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof, and for this reason I do lnot wish to be understood as limiting myself to the .precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carryingout myyinVentiorifin-practice except as claimed. Iclaim: .g l. .Ina deviceforrecovering pipe from well casings, the combination which comprises an inverted funnel-shaped guide having a sleeve ex- `tended-,- upwardly therefrom and having a coupling onA the upper end of the sleeve, asubstantially--,Ushaped clamp havingV parallel arms extendedoutwardly from` a substantially cylindrical section, a sleeve connecting the said ysubstantially cylindrical section of the clamp to the coupling on theupper end of `thesleeve extended from the funnel-shapedguide,y adog having teeth on theinner end positioned between the arms of the'clamp,l a, pin extended through the v'said arms of the clampand dog .pivotally mounting'the dogin the clamp and positioned whereby the teeth of thedog engage the surface of a pipe extendedthrouglr the clamp and guide, pins extendedacross the'upper andV lower edges of the arms of the clamp forlimiting movement of the .dog whereby the dog ,permits downward movement ofthe 'device on the lpipe and grips the pipe infiupward movement thereof drawing the 'pipe` upwardly as the deviceis `drawn upwardly,; an? upwardly extended cable attaching U-shaped loop carried by 'and positioned over the outer surface of the clamp, and a split skirt `removablymountedin the lower end of the said funnel-shaped guide for adjusting the outside diameter thereof;

- ELLERY FITCH.

REFERENCES CITED y The following references are lof recordin the UNITED'STATES PATENTS Number Name f Date 896,520 Deuchar nage- Aug. 18, 1908 l 1,014,504 Miller Jan. 9,1912 1,290,642 Nelson= v .y -Jan. 7, 1919 

